Talk To Me
by splattered.ink99
Summary: Will Herondale has secrets. His past is full of grief, and his family is scarred. His life is one big downwards spiral until he gets forced into therapy sessions. Enter Tessa Gray, who challenges Will's beliefs and reaches out to him as he falls. But can she help him? Can Will change? Or is he going to stay broken forever?
1. Chapter 1

**Hiiiii Everyone! I decided I needed some more Will x Tessa in my life, so here's another soppy/fluffy fanfic for y'all. Hope you enjoy...**

 ***** Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they belong to Cassandra Clare, who is amazing. However, I do own this plot. *****

 **Just a note, I have never taken any therapy sessions before, and so I'm not entirely sure if I've described them like they are, so sorry about that, and if I need to change anything, please leave me a comment.**

 **Also, I am lucky enough to have a caring family and I've never experienced domestic strain or abuse, so sorry if I get that wrong, too. But for anyone who is going through that, many, many people are behind you, and you do need to look for help. Please stay strong. Things** ** _will_** **work out.**

 **Anyway, off topic. Here we go, and sorry in advance for soppiness.**

* * *

Will tugged the hood of his jumper more firmly over his head and scowled at the reception lady. "I have an appointment."

The woman behind the desk was short, with light hair pulled into a practical bun. Her name tag read; _Hello, my name is Charlotte Branwell._

Undeterred by Will's aura of ' _do not talk to me'_ , she smiled at him brightly. "What's your name, dear?"

"Will Herondale." he said shortly.

Charlotte looked down at her computer screen and frowned. Will scuffed his foot against the carpet, wishing he was somewhere - _anywhere -_ else.

Charlotte smiled apologetically at Will. "I'm afraid Harriet Gray, your therapist, is on leave at the moment, so I believe there is a fill in, if that's okay. I apologise in advance for - "

"Whatever. I don't care." Will interrupted rudely. "What room?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, before glancing back down at her computer. "Room seven, _dear._ "

Will needed no more encouragement. He stalked off. _Let's just get this over with._

* * *

It had been almost a week since his mother had called him down from his room. Her dark hair, much neater than his own, was hanging over her face like she'd forgotten to brush it, and her blue eyes were flustered. "Will, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Yeah?" he said shortly, leaning back against the door frame.

She looked at him and sighed, closing her eyes. "I've booked you in for a therapy appointment."

Will straightened, eyes wide. "You did _what?_ "

"Your father and I thought it would be best, and honestly, I think we should have done it years ago."

Will glared at her. "That's not your decision."

She met his glare. "I'm afraid it is."

Will turned to leave, fuming. He felt a hand on his shoulder and shrugged it off.

"We just want to help you." his mother said from behind him. "I know you're still having trouble sleeping - "

Will rounded on her, furious. "And just _how_ do you know that? Have you been spying on me?"

His mother looked stricken, and she lifted her palms to him like a show of innocence. "I've heard you crying out at night - "

Will felt the anger boring through him, the anger he'd been trying to control for five years. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEND ME TO THERAPY! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO COMFORT ME LIKE ACTUAL PARENTS!"

He was shaking, and he tried in vain to steady himself as he turned and walked back up the steps. He could see his mother out of the corner of his eye. She was standing, frozen to the spot, her arms wrapped tightly round herself as if to keep herself from falling apart.

Will wasn't the only one that was broken in this family.

He reached his bedroom door and leant against it, his anger leaving him.

He was so tired.

"Your first appointment starts next week." his mother said quietly. "You'll be going to an appointment every second day for a few weeks, and then we'll change it back to once a week."

Will looked back at her. Her blue eyes were much like his own, expect his always looked furious, and hers always looked weary.

"Sometimes," she said, after a moment, "family isn't enough, Will. I've tried to reach out to you for five years, but you alway turn away. Maybe this time, it'll be different." There was still hope in her voice, and it hurt.

Will turned and opened the door to his bedroom without a word. He wanted to slam it shut, but found that he couldn't be bothered.

* * *

Will shook himself out of the memory as he knocked on the door with a large black seven stuck onto it.

"Come in!" came a voice.

Will pushed open the door. And stared.

The person sitting at the desk was very different from what he had expected. She looked about seventeen, the same age as him. She had long chocolate hair that curled around her in waves, and soft grey eyes.

The girl stood up from her chair with a nervous smile. "Hi. My name is Tessa Gray. You must be Will Herondale."

She was wearing a red jumper that was too big for her and faded denim jeans, and there was a pencil tucked behind her ear. Will realised he was staring when she raised an eyebrow in a mute prompt. He gathered his composure. "Huh. I thought you were going to be some old lady in a knitted cardigan."

Tessa raised both her eyebrows this time. "Well, you're not what I was expecting either." she said, and then blushed. It was kind of cute.

Will looked around the room. It was small, and painted a boring shade of hospital white. There were a few posters on the walls with pictures of toddlers grinning and cheesy quotes about happiness underneath.

Tessa's desk took up most of the room, and there were two chairs on either side, facing each other.

She pointed to the empty chair as she sunk back into her own. "Please sit down."

Will walked over to the chair and collapsed into it, slouching as much as he could so she would get the message.

Tessa pulled out a large black book half filled with notes. She flicked to a new page and wrote his name up the top, in swirling letters.

When she looked back up again, Will's chair was empty.

"What - " he heard her say in surprise, and then she pushed out her chair and peered under the desk. Will smiled lazily at her from where he was lying on the floor.

Tessa sighed. "Please get up. I don't actually work here, and I need you to be co-operative."

"I don't want to sit in a chair and watch you write notes about my life struggles." Will told her. "In fact, I don't want to be here at all."

Tessa looked at him, her grey eyes changing from soft to stormy. "Get up." she said firmly.

Will closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head.

She swore under her breath, but Will heard her. "Please, get up." Tessa said finally. "I don't want to be here any more than you do, but I had to fill in."

Will squinted at her through half shut eyes. "I don't care what you do. Just leave me here. I want to sleep."

Tessa glared at him, and then she closed her eyes, breathing out through her nose. She stood up, picked something from her desk and then crawled under her desk to lie beside him.

"What are you doing?" Will asked, surprised.

"Shh. I'm reading." Tessa said, opening a book. Her side was pressed against his.

Will looked at the front cover. "A Tale of Two Cities?" he asked.

Tessa looked at him. "Have you read it? It's my favourite book."

Will had read it, in fact, it was his favourite book as well. But he didn't want to get to know this girl, interesting as she may seem. He didn't want to be here and he didn't want to prove his mother right.

He wanted to sleep.

Will shook his head. "Nup. But from what I heard, it sounds pretty lame. Tragic, unrequited love and beheadings."

Tessa stared at him. "But that isn't what it's about at all! It's about justice and fighting for equality and human worth. I can relate to every page."

"Whatever." Will said, closing his eyes again. "One man's trash is another's treasure and all that. I'm going to sleep."

And so he did, under the desk, with Tessa reading quietly beside him. The only sound was his quiet breathing and Tessa turning the pages.

He slept peacefully for the first time in weeks.

They both jumped at the sound of an alarm. Tessa hit her head on the underside of the desk and groaned.

"What's that?" Will asked.

"The alarm. Your half an hour is finished." Tessa said, crawling out from under the desk.

Will crawled out too, and stretched. He made his way to the door.

"One moment, please." Tessa said. He turned to see her looking at him, grey eyes unreadable.

"Yes?" he asked, hand reaching for the doorknob.

"I need you to help me." Tessa said. "I need to get some notes about you. It could be anything, but I need you to work with me." She paused, and then sighed. "You were sent here whether you wanted to be or not, and that means you need help in some way. Please let me help you. I need it as much as you do."

"Why?" Will asked, pulling his hood back over his head.

"I won't answer your questions until you answer mine." Tessa said firmly.

"I don't see the point," Will replied, "in spilling my life story to someone I don't know, who will take notes about me and ask me stupid questions about how I feel."

Tessa looked at him for a long moment. "I don't see the point in trying to get _you_ to open up to me, but I have to try. I promised my aunt. She works here, but she's on leave and they had no one else to fill in except me, the paperwork girl. I'm going to be terrible at this, but I'll try. You need to try as well."

Will blinked. "I don't have to do anything."

Tessa turned away and shuffled her notes. "See you on Tuesday. And please be prepared to talk to me."

Will opened the door. This time, he did slam it.

* * *

It was dark when Will got home that day. He had taken as much time as possible to walk home, stopping at any place that would distract him.

He opened the door, and realised he hadn't taken nearly enough time.

His mother was crying in the kitchen doorway, and not quietly either. She was sobbing, her whole chest heaving. "Every time, I say the same thing. And you don't _ever_ _listenI!"_

Will stopped in the hallway, following his mother's gaze. His father was sitting on the couch in the joint living room, his head in his hands. The massive TV screen behind him was showing an exciting-looking football game, but the sound was on mute.

Will watched the tiny players run up the field, kicking the ball effortlessly to each other. _Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath._

"I don't know what you want me to say." Will's dad looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and pale, and there was a large purple bruise crowning one eye. Will could smell alcohol from where he stood.

"I want you to _apologise!"_ his mother yelled, her hands in fists.

"Hi Mum, hi Dad." Will muttered. "How was your day? Mine was good, thanks."

"I've been putting up with your shit for _years!_ " his mother continued, completely ignoring Will. "You're an _adult,_ believe it or not, and you need to _act like one_ instead of _leaving me to deal with everything!_ "

"Mum - " Will began.

Will's father was on his feet, and he was a lot taller than Will remembered. "Don't tell me what to do." he growled, his words slightly slurred.

"Ok, fine! Feel free to gamble away our _house_ and anything else you want!" his mother screamed.

"What?" Will said, not sure if he'd heard correctly.

"And while you're doing that, you can go and buy yourself another stash of _beer -_ "

"SHUT UP!" Will yelled, throwing his school bag to the floor.

His parents turned to look at him. "Will - " his mother began, "Maybe you should - "

"You ask me why I won't talk to you." Will snapped.

"Will." his father said, not gently, "Go to bed."

"Not until you tell me what you've done this time."

"He gambled away our house." his mother said, slumping against the wall. Will watched her eyes darken as she took yet another blow and gave up fighting.

"He _what?_ "

His father flinched. "It wasn't like that! I - "

"Yeah. I'm sure you have some excuse that will make things alright." Will snapped, his fists clenching.

"Will, honey." his mother said wearily. "Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."

"Like hell we will."

His mother held his gaze. Will looked away first, suddenly disgusted. _This_ was his family. _This_ was his life, his reality. Losing an entire house because of his father.

But Will wasn't much better, it seemed.

He picked up his bag and walked past his parents to the stairs. He took them fast, hoping to leave his anger behind in the lower floor.

But when Will slammed his bedroom door, the whole house shook.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Can you guess what happened in Will's past? Reviews always totally welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for sticking round for chapter 2, you are amazing and awesome and you have made my day!**

* * *

Tuesday afternoon came too quickly. Will found himself once again opening door number seven and glowering at the girl at the desk.

"Take two?" Tessa asked, studying him.

 _What am I doing here what am I doing here what am I doing here_

Will turned round and walked right out.

"Will! Will Herondale!" He heard her shout from behind him. Will walked right out past the reception desk and onto the street, breathing in gulps of fresh air.

He heard running feet from behind him, and then Tessa grabbed his arm and spun him round. She was strong. _And_ , Will thought as he stared at her, _pretty as well_. Up close, he could see how long her eyelashes were, and the flecks of blue in her eyes.

"Come on." Tessa said softly. "We don't have to talk. You can just lie under the desk. Just tell me when you're ready, okay?"

Will tugged his arm out of her grip. "I'm leaving. You don't have to worry about pleasing your aunt."

He turned away.

"Don't." Tessa said softly. "Whoever wants you to come here in the first place will be disappointed. You'll have to come back."

Will watched the cars speed up the road, honking at each other. He swore.

Tessa cautiously took his hand. Her fingers gripped his own. Will let her lead him back inside.

The receptionist, Charlotte, and the people sitting in the waiting chairs all stared at them, but Tessa didn't seem to notice. She lead Will back to her office.

Will slid under the desk immediately. He watched Tessa's sneakers as she cleared something away on the desk above him. His blank notes, probably. Then she grabbed her book and crawled under with him. Will closed his eyes, pretending he hadn't just been staring at her legs.

"I'm going to read to you." Tessa told him as she lay down on her back, knees tucked up.

"What?" Will asked, opening his eyes.

"A Tale of Two Cities is an amazing book, and you need to hear it."

Will raised an eyebrow. Tessa opened her book. The pages were well-thumbed, and yellowed round the edges.

She looked at Will again, biting her lip. He gave her a slight nod, in spite of himself. Tessa looked back at her book and began to read.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…"

Will knew the passage well. The words echoed in his head like music as he watched Tessa read. Her voice reminded him, strangely, of his mother reading to him when he was very young. Soft, slightly husky, treating each word as if it were something precious, as if she was reading a secret that was only to him.

And when the alarm rang, Will almost didn't want to leave.

* * *

Will hadn't seen his father since Monday night. His mother was gone all day meeting people and signing contracts and whatever else you had to do when your husband gambled away your house.

Will was in his room late on Tuesday night when she knocked, cautiously, on his door.

Will was lying on his bed with the radio blasting music at him. The lyrics were too fast for him too get, but Will suspected they were extremely inappropriate.

"Come in." he said after a moment, rolling over to press the pause button. The sudden silence made him shiver.

The door opened, and his mother stepped in. She hovered in the entrance way, unsure.

"Shut the door." Will said. He didn't sit up.

"Your father's in bed with a headache." she told him, her voice emotionless.

Will said nothing.

She sighed, and came to sit beside him on the bed. "How was your session today?"

Will shrugged. He tried to imagine Tessa reading to him, her voice echoing through his head.

There was a long silence.

"I'm sorry." his mother said finally. "You know I'm not good at saying it, but I really am."

"What for?" he muttered.

"For fighting. For booking you in for therapy. For being a hypocrite. For - for Ella."

Will flinched at his sister's name. "That wasn't your fault."

 _Her head hit the concrete with a crack, and the world froze as he reached for the broken girl on the pavement, his life cracking in half before him._

"Will, are you listening to me?"

Will blinked, surprised to find his eyes were wet. He rubbed them furiously. "What did you say?"

His mother sighed, and brushed a strand of hair behind his ears, which also surprised him. She was rarely affectionate anymore, and he rarely let her be.

"Ella was like you. Full of life and determination. And it was just such a shock when - "

"Mum. Please don't."

 _People were yelling behind him, but they couldn't down out the screaming inside his head, Ella's scream as she was slammed onto the ground. He was on his knees coughing up nothing, and it was strange how much grief felt like anger._

And Will's face was wet. He bit his lip, willing the tears to stop. His mother saw, of course. She pulled him into a tight hug, and Will wondered hazily when he'd last felt someone's arms around him. It had been a long time.

"I'm sorry." she said again. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm seventeen, Mum. You don't need to - " he began, his voice muffled.

"Yes I do. I'm your mother." she said firmly. "I'm sorry I've done such a horrible job at it. I guess - I guess we all have different ways of dealing with the - well. With the grief. I'm sorry I took so long to realise we needed help. Your nightmares, your schoolwork, your attitude, I should have known.

And - your father… hopefully losing our house will be enough to wake him up again."

Will moved back and looked up at his mother. "Losing _our house_ is his warning?"

She sighed again. "I know. But we'll make it work, Will. We're all going to try and start afresh. Maybe moving houses will help with that. I'm going to try, and I hope you will too."

Will looked down, unable to meet her gaze. "Maybe."

"And that's enough for now." she said softly. "I really hope that your therapy appointments will help."

And Will found, that no matter how angry he got, he didn't want to disappoint her. "They are helping." he said. It wasn't a lie, not exactly.

She took his chin with her hand and forced him to look up at her. "That's fantastic."

And then she smiled, and it was the first real smile in a long time. Will smiled back.

His mother got off his bed, but paused at the door. "Oh, and Will?"

"Yes?"

"Please don't listen to that explicit music unless you have headphones."

She closed the door so gently, Will didn't hear it click.

* * *

"Therapy, huh?" Jem said, when Will arrived at his house.

Jem was sitting on the fence as usual, holding the straps of his school bag. He jumped off as Will approached, and they walked on towards school together, like always. Jem had been Will's friend since before he could remember.

Jem had unusually blond hair that looked silver, and his eyes were definitely a silvery colour. But the look suited him, and Jem was often gushed over by the girls at school. Will was too, and he liked it a lot more then Jem did.

"Who told you that?" Will grumbled.

"Your mother." Jem said. "You weren't at home yesterday after school, so I asked her where you were."

Will groaned and rubbed his face. "Right. That was _considerate_ of her. Yeah, I've been to two appointments so far."

Jem looked at him sideways, waiting.

Will said nothing.

"Well?" Jem asked finally.

Will sighed. "It was different from what I expected. The usual lady I was supposed to talk to was on leave, so I think her niece had to fill in for her. The girl was my age, actually."

"Really?" Jem asked. "What was her name?"

"Uh… Tessa. Tessa Gray, I think."

"What did you say?" Jem looked surprised.

"Tessa Gray." Will arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I know her!" Jem exclaimed. "She's a friend of mine. Her aunt works at a therapy centre, so Tessa often helps out there."

Will stared at him. "You know her? That's… a little bit creepy."

Jem hummed a bit of _It's a Small World After All,_ which made Will elbow him in the ribs.

"Well, that's cool. Tell her hi from me." Jem said. "And, um… how's… everything else?"

Will sped up his pace so Jem had to practically jog to keep up. "Fine." he said shortly.

Jem didn't push. He never did.

They walked in silence.

* * *

 **Does anyone actually know the tune to** ** _Its a small world after all?_** **I don't, actually. I should look it up :) Thanks guys, and you know what I'm going to say here. Pleeeeeeeeeease Reveeeeeeeiiiiiw! maybe it sounds creepy, but come on. Takes you five seconds and only one second to type a smiley face. I've worked hard for you guys! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ready for the big reveal? What is Will's secret and how will Tessa react? Dun dun duuuuuuuun**

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Jem?" Will asked, bursting into Tessa's office.

She looked up from her book in surprise. Tessa was dressed in her school uniform today, a blue checkered dress that Will vaguely recognised as being from a nearby high school. Her hair was up in a messy bun, with a pencil stuck through it.

"You know Jem?" she asked, standing up. "Jem Carstairs?"

Will nodded. "He's my best mate."

Tessa stared at him. "You know, that actually makes sense. He told me about a friend of his called Will. I didn't make the connection."

Will looked at her. Now that he thought about it, Tessa seemed exactly like the person Jem would get along with.

He imagined them talking about him over coffee in some tiny cafe. The thought should have embarrassed him, but somehow it made Will like Tessa a lot better, knowing that she was friends with Jem. She seemed less like a stranger and more like - for some reason - someone he could trust.

Will took a deep breath, realising what he was about to do.

"I'm ready to talk." he said.

Tessa looked surprised for the second time in a minute. Inexplicably, she blushed. "Okay. That's great."

"But you can't take notes about me." Will told her firmly.

Tessa nodded. "I won't. I understand that now."

There was an awkward silence.

Tessa cleared her throat. Will knelt down and crawled under the desk.

"Again?" he heard her say, before she ducked down with him.

"This is how the professionals do it." Will said.

She smiled up at the underside of the desk.

Will had no idea why he was spilling his life secrets to a girl he barely knew.

But he did.

"I was twelve." he said quietly. It seemed like a good starting point.

"I had two sisters. Ella was older than me, and Cecily was younger. Cecily was the feisty one, and Ella - well. Ella was the protective one."

His breath caught, but he went on. "I had just started high school, and I was excited to be more independent. I wanted to walk to school by myself every day, without even Ella to look out for me." Will hated himself in that moment. Hated the boy he had been.

Tessa was listening with her eyes half closed, her mouth parted in a slow exhale.

"Ella was hurt. She wanted to look after me, like always. But I told her to go ahead, and I walked to and from school by myself. And - I forgot to say, our family was, um… well off. We lived in a big house, and I always had enough pocket money to buy myself things. A shiny watch, and a fancy looking school bag. I had a fat wallet bulging out of my pocket, and looking back now - well, I guess I looked like an easy target." Will sighed, and Tessa sighed too, silently, as she realised what was coming.

"I was walking past an alleyway, and I didn't notice the man in the shadows. But he noticed me. And the next thing I knew, I was jammed up against the wall with a hand over my mouth."

The memory was painful, and Will winced as he remembered one of his ribs cracking, his head slamming against the bricks.

"The lucky thing was, Ella had been worried about me. And - being Ella," He almost smiled, "She'd been walking home behind me, far enough so I wouldn't notice her, but close enough to keep an eye on me. It was only my first week at school, I mean. She was nervous. So…"

"So then she tried to save you." Tessa said quietly, when Will didn't continue. He felt her eyes on him, but he stared at the underside of her desk, determined not to meet her gaze.

"Yeah. She… she pulled him off me, and… I guess I was too young to understand what was going on. She was screaming at the man, and I was just - _frozen._ I couldn't move. And it was terrifying."

"You don't have to tell me all this." Tessa said gently.

"No, it's fine." Will took another deep breath. He seemed to be running out of oxygen. "And someone on the street heard Ella screaming, and so a small crowd of people rushed to help, just in time to see - to see Ella…" his voice cracked, and he broke off again, breathing hard. "To see Ella get shoved onto the concrete. She was pushed far enough that she fell right out on the street, and I was screaming at her to get up, and she wasn't moving, and the man tried to run, and - " _Deep breath._ "And I tried to tackle him by grabbing him round the neck. Then I woke up in hospital a few days later."

Tessa was completely silent. He couldn't look at her.

"I had three cracked ribs, a sprained ankle and a minor concussion. But Ella was much more serious. She'd cracked her head so hard on the fall, I guess. She was in the emergency room for a long time, and then - " And this time he really couldn't go on. His tongue felt like sandpaper.

"She passed away." Tessa said softly. No _Gee, you poor thing,_ or _I'm so sorry for you._ Will was glad. If one more person said something like that to him, he was going to go mad.

"Yeah." _Deep breath._ "And after that, my family sort of fell apart. Cecily's always away at sleepovers at her friend's house. She hates it at our place. My mum went all silent and empty, occasionally lashing out, but mostly like some sort of ghost. My dad started coming home later and later, going to pubs, and getting into gambling. It got worse and worse, and now, even five years later, he _literally_ gambled away our _house_. Just this week."

Will clenched his fists. "And I, well. I started having really bad nightmares. Ella screaming, hitting the ground. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall asleep again. And soon I was too scared to fall asleep in the first place. I was angry at my parents for not helping me. I was angry at Ella for leaving me."

"Most of all, I was angry at myself for not _doing something_ that day. For standing there like a _coward_ while my sister _died._ My grades started slipping, and I stopped caring about school. And it was just a downwards spiral for the last five years. I've been on tablets and medication, I've been going to the doctor's so much I could walk there with my eyes closed, I've talked to the school councillor for four years - they've tried everything."

"But not therapy." Tessa commented.

"No." Will said, smiling in spite of himself. "My dad always said therapy was a waste of time."

"Sometimes," Tessa said, after a moment, "I wonder if it is. You've told me everything, but I can't even help you. I can just listen and feel only a fraction of your sadness. How does that help?" she sounded almost angry. Will turned to see her glaring at the bottom of her desk like it had caused all her problems.

He smiled. "Sometimes, just listening does help. I don't know."

Tessa looked at him. "Well… considering everything, you've been pretty strong."

"How have I been _strong_?"

She looked at him earnestly. "Many people your age might have gone down darker paths than you. They resort to drugs, and alcohol, and maybe smoking. You could have been a lot worse."

"Well…" Will said uncomfortably.

Tessa stared at him. "You didn't."

Will flushed. "Um… I might have tried… some things once or twice?"

He was surprised at how much it hurt when she glared. "What?"

The cat was out of the bag. "I was sixteen, and I sort of tried smoking - um, weed. But I gave up after a few months because I couldn't take it."

"You were becoming addicted?" her face was unreadable.

"No… I just - I realised I was becoming… like my dad. Getting violent and addictive - and it scared me. So I stopped. I mean, I'm still kind of violent, I guess, but drugs was just…" he trailed off.

Tessa nodded, studying him. "I guess you can't really change other people, just yourself."

There was a pause as she gazed at him. He felt like Tessa could read his mind, like she was staring deep into his soul.

Finally, Tessa nodded again, and propped herself up on one elbow. "Have you forgiven Ella?"

"What?"

"You said you were mad at her for leaving you." Tessa reminded him.

Will stared at her. "Of course. I was never really mad at _her,_ just myself. She was always looking out for me. She saved me that day."

Tessa nodded. "Then… do you forgive yourself?"

"My - myself?" Will was confused.

"It seems to me that's why you have nightmares, and why you get so angry all the time. You don't like yourself. You don't forgive yourself for what happened."

And it was true. "Sometimes I think I hate myself." he said. He'd never told anyone that before, the words were raw and exposed.

Tessa looked sad. She reached out and took his hand, which surprised him. A pleasant tingling sensation ran up his arm.

"I can only say this." Tessa said finally. "You need to forgive yourself. You aren't the only one who freezes up. I do too. Everyone does. You weren't the one who hurt Ella. She would never, ever want you to take the blame for what happened. She would want you to be happy."

"But I could have _done_ something to help!"

"What could you have done?" she asked. Her voice was so heavy, and so sad.

"I don't know! Something!" Will half-yelled. But he realised, looking at her, that there wasn't much he could have done. Depressing as it sounded, he felt somehow lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Tessa nodded like she'd read his mind. "Sometimes, life is crap. It brings us crap, it buries us in crap, it _is_ crap. But life can also be sunny, or it can rain and wash the crap away. And I guess we all just had to learn to deal with the bad stuff, and enjoy the good things while they're on offer. You can blame yourself, or blame life, but you don't need to hold on to your grief, or your anger. You can just let it go." She finished her speech and flushed under his gaze.

"Did your aunt teach you that?" Will asked, suddenly amused.

Still blushing, Tessa shook her head. "It's just what I believe."

Will nodded, slowly. "As far as pep talks go, it was okay."

"I appreciate that."

He laughed, a proper out-loud laugh, and it felt so natural.

"Enough of this." Tessa said. "I don't want to think about sad things." she pulled out _A Tale of Two Cities._

"That book is the definition of sad." Will pointed out.

"Shut up." Tessa said lightly, opening to the right page. "It's beautiful and honest, even though it's sad."

" _I'm_ beautiful and honest." he said. "But you don't want to talk about me."

She grinned before she could stop herself. "Do you want to keep talking about yourself?"

"Nah, I'm good." Will decided.

"Well then." She began to read to him, from the spot she'd finished at last session. After a while, Will stopped paying attention to the words. He thought about the sound of her voice and her arm pressed against his side.

He didn't feel angry, or sad.

 _She would want you to be happy._

* * *

 _"Stop it!" Ella screamed, grabbing the dark figure's arm and trying to wrench it away from Will. "Get off him!"_

 _Will wanted to lash out, but fear froze him to the spot. He could only watch as the stranger turned to his sister with a snarl. She jumped back, dodging his fist, but the man grabbed her arm before she could react._

 _Her face was terrified as she was shoved backwards, her head slamming into the concrete. Will was shattering too, only silently. Two people had been broken that day._

 _"Will." came a voice. Jem was standing in the alley shadows, looking as calm as ever. Will was surprised. No one else had ever appeared in this dream before._

 _"Will, it's over." Jem said, stepping forwards into the sun. Somewhere behind Will, people were screaming, kneeling over Ella's body, but the sounds were muffled and very far away._

 _And then Tessa appeared beside Jem, a book tucked under her arm. "Will." she said softly. "You can let it go."_

 _And then a third person appeared beside Tessa. It was Ella, but a different version. She was transparent, but smiling, and as rosy cheeked as ever. "I love you, Will."_

 _Will stared at her, knowing that she would be gone when he woke up. He tried to commit her image to memory, but Ella was already fading. "It's not your fault." she said. And then she was gone._

Will woke up with a start. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but even _he_ couldn't stay awake for ever. He was surprised to find that his sheets weren't tangled, that he wasn't drenched in sweat, that his heartbeat was completely normal.

Which was definitely a first.

* * *

The next morning Will woke up again feeling - well, not exactly _happy,_ but definitely refreshed. By the time he'd had a shower (and had to suppress his sudden urge to sing in it), and slid down the banister on the stairs (with a flawless landing), Will felt positively cheerful.

The feeling continued for the rest of the day. He didn't go as far as to pay complete attention in classes, but the thought was there.

When he got home, whistling cheerfully just to emphasise to whoever was home that _Will Herondale is a chaaaaaanged man,_ his mother was waiting for him. She smiled tensely at the sight of him. "Will, how was your day?"

"Great, thanks." he said, coming up to the door. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go for a drive." she said, picking up the car keys and twirling them in her fingers. "Will you come with me?"

A minute later, Will sat in the passenger seat watching his mother from the corner of his eye. She looked tense, and the shadows under her eyes stood out in sharp relief.

"Where are we going?" he asked. She tapped the steering wheel and backed out of the driveway.

They were on the road when his mother answered. "I've tried everything, Will, but we really do need to give up our house. I need to look at a place we can move into."

"Oh." he said. _Oh._

They drove in an awkward silence, until Will finally turned on the radio. He flicked through the stations, feeling uneasy. _Let go of your anger, let go of your anger…_

Finally, his mother parked in front of a small house Will had never seen before. A huge sign stuck to the fence announced that the house was for sale. The sign itself was almost bigger than the house. It wasn't even a house, more of a cottage or a shack.

"It's a bit… small." Will couldn't help saying.

His mother sighed. "It's all we can afford at the moment." She looked like the slightest gust of wind would simply bowl her over. Will bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything he would regret.

"Let's go inside." she said finally, with a shaky smile.

The house had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a tiny room that was probably supposed to be the lounge room. The study was a ratty old extension that was hardly bigger than a broom cupboard.

The walls were a sickly pale green, peeling and even mouldy in some places. There was barely any furniture, and half the lights wouldn't switch on.

After walking round the house a couple of times, Will's good mood was beginning to fade. When he and his mother closed the front door back behind them, he was scowling with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"It's not ideal." his mother said finally, after a long pause. Her hand gripped her car keys so hard her knuckles were turning white. Otherwise, she looked reasonably composed.

Will had to make an effort. He straightened his spine. "It's not, but we can make it work. If we paint up some of the walls and change some of the lightbulbs it should be fine."

She looked like she wanted to believe it. "You're right. And, Will - it's only temporary. Only until we can afford another house."

Will nodded, his throat dry. "I know."

There was nothing much else to say. They climbed back into the car and drove in silence.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaand cut! Next episode will have drama, a plot twist and a splash of romance! Coming soon! Watch this space!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ready for some fluff? Of course you are who doesn't love fluff? Thanks for reading, it makes me really happy xxx**

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon when Will knocked on door number seven once again.

"Come in!" Tessa called, her voice muffled from behind the wood.

Will slid into the room. Tessa stood up to greet him like she always did.

Today she was wearing her red jumper and jeans again. The jeans were ripped and the jumper was too big, but Will couldn't help thinking guiltily that she looked really pretty, especially with her hair out and flowing past her shoulders.

He realised he was staring, and then realised a moment later that she was staring at him.

"What?" Will asked, looking down at his shirt to see if there was something on it.

Tessa blushed nearly crimson. She looked down at her floor. "You look different today."

"What do you mean?"

She looked back up, her clear grey eyes shy. "Um… well. You look like you slept better, for one thing."

Will looked past her to the window. He could see his reflection, and he blinked in surprise. The boy in the window's eyes were blue and bright, no longer rimmed with dark shadows. His dark hair was pushed out of his face to better show his flushed cheeks, which were usually so pale. And there was a half smile playing on his lips, making him look - well. Handsome as usual.

It had been such a long, long time since Will had made a girl blush and enjoyed it.

When he looked back at Tessa, she was still blinking at him in surprise. She cleared her throat.

Will shot her a grin before ducking under the desk and rolling to his usual spot. A moment later, Tessa joined him. "How is everything?" she asked.

"Better." Will said. He wished he could explain just how much she had helped, but he didn't know how to say it.

"Do you want to talk?"

"I'd rather read." he said. Tessa smiled, reaching for her battered old book. "We finished at a crucial bit, right? With Sydney talking to Lucie."

Will nodded. "Take it away." He lay back with his head on his arms.

Tessa began, her lovely, lilting voice directed only at him.

He lost track of time, but finally Tessa said, "My voice is cracking. Can you read for a bit?"

"You just want an excuse to listen to my voice." he said, taking the book.

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "I read way better than you."

"We'll see." Will said with a grin. He found the page and smiled as he recognised the passage, one Will had poured over many, many times. "In fact, I don't even have to _read_ this bit!"

He laid the book facedown on his chest and recited from memory. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a - "

Tessa grabbed his arm. "You've read it!" she cried, grinning. "You lying sneak!"

Will smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, it is one of my favourite books."

Tessa practically beamed at him. "You even memorised one of my favourite passages - why did you lie?"

Will bit his lip. "Well… I didn't exactly want to get to know you then, or to, um… like you."

Tessa smirked at him. "Oh, so you like me now?" she asked.

"Is Sydney Carton your favourite character?"

Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Um… yes. His is."

Well then." Will said. "I like you."

Tessa rolled her eyes, sitting up carefully so she wouldn't bash her head on the desk. "Interesting judgment. Why is he _your_ favourite?"

"I guess," Will began, sitting up too, "He always just seemed really relatable. He thought he was worthless, but even so, he was brave and selfless to the end."

Tessa nodded. "I never think I'm worthless, and I don't think you are, either, but he always seemed relatable to me, too. I guess Lucie was the one who could see all the potential inside him, and he was willing to try and change his life completely for her, and then die for her. But the whole book he is smart, and witty, and, like you said - _selfless_. And that always just seemed like things to shoot for."

Tessa finished her speech and blinked at him, like she had forgotten he was listening. Will loved it when she ranted about things. He loved the way she said everything on her mind without hesitation, without wondering what he would think of it.

He loved the slight blush creeping back up her cheeks as she bit her lip. "Um… yeah. I just really like him, I guess."

Tessa looked up at him, and a sudden tension filled the air as her grey eyes met his own. She was closer to him than he had realised, and Will felt suddenly drawn to her.

He leaned forward slightly. "You forgot to mention his heartbreaking speeches."

She smiled slightly. "That too."

"How many times have you read that book?" Will asked, mainly just to say something.

"About five or six times?" Tessa guessed. He'd never noticed that her irises were ringed with blue.

"I've read it seven times." he said, his gaze flicking downwards to her mouth.

"Of course you have." she said. Was it his imagination or was her voice slightly uneven?

He leaned forward slightly, and her face was so close that he could have counted the freckles on her nose. A strand of hair had fallen forward over her face, and Will brushed it behind her ear, forcing his fingers to be steady.

Her breath caught, and Will grinned in spite of himself. When was the last time he had done something like this?

"This is how the professionals do it, right?" she whispered, echoing his earlier words.

Will laughed. "Exactly." he said, voice low enough that she shivered.

He leaned forward…

Riiiiiiiing! The alarm went off, and Tessa's head hit the underside of the desk as she jumped in surprise, flushing furiously.

Will lost all his adrenaline. He crawled out from under the desk and switched off the alarm, wishing he could hurl it out the window. _Seriously. That was the worst timing ever._

His heart was still going a million miles a minute, and he had been so close…

Tessa crawled out after him, still blushing. "Stupid alarm."

"Yeah." Will said hurriedly. He needed to get out of here. Now. "See you on Monday." He practically threw himself at the door.

"Will, wait a second - " The door slammed behind him. Will felt guilty, but his embarrassment won. He bolted out onto the street.

Tessa did not come after him.

* * *

By the time Will got home, his embarrassment and nerves had turned into a strange sense of euphoria. Tessa liked him, that much was clear.

Feeling at peace with the world, Will walked into the kitchen and put his jacket on the hook. He heard footsteps on the stairs, and a moment later his mother entered, clutching a stack of papers and looking exhausted.

"Will." she said with a strained smile. "Just going through some of the contract papers. How are you?"

"Good thanks!" Will beamed at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're in a good mood. How was your session?"

"It's really been helping, Mum. Thanks."

This time, her smile was real. "That's the best news I've heard all day. Thank goodness."

"Where's Dad?" Will asked.

Her smile vanished again. "He's in bed with a fever. You'd better not bother him."

There was a tense silence. "You must be hungry." she said finally. "I'm afraid I haven't made anything for dinner - "

"Can I make chocolate pudding?" Will asked suddenly. She looked surprised. "Well - "

"Please?" he begged. "The one we used to make together, with the thick sauce and everything."

HIs mother frowned at him for a moment. Then she broke into a smile. "Why not? I've got all the ingredients…"

And so they spent the rest of the evening making the puddings, like they had long ago. Will's hair was dusted white with flour, and his face was smeared with chocolate sauce. They turned on the radio and turned their favourite pop channel up loud, singing along to the songs as they cracked eggs, stirred the mixture and poured the sauce.

Will hadn't heard his mother laugh that much for years. Her eyes were bright like his own, and she was no longer just partly-there.

* * *

They had just put the puddings in the oven - and Will was denying anything to do with the disappearance of nearly half the fudge sauce - when the front door slammed open.

His father was framed in the doorway, breathing hard. His hair was blonde, unlike Will's, but his eyes were the same piercing blue, and they looked completely wild.

"I've fixed everything!" he announced, his words slurring into each other. As Will and his mother stared in horror, Edmund Herondale staggered into the kitchen. Completely drunk.

 _Deep breath. Deep breath._

"You were supposed to be in bed with a fever!" Will's mother said sharply.

His father's smile was not apologetic. "The window was also supposed to be locked."

"Dad, what the hell?" Will slammed the oven shut.

"Language, son." his father slurred. "I know you've both been - annoyed with…" He gestured at the house. "You know. So I decided to make things right!" He held up a fistful of money notes, and threw them into the air. They fluttered around the kitchen as Will stared.

"Ten _thousand_ pounds! I won it in a poker round! It'll help pay off our debt - "

"You won it in _what?"_ Will's mother snapped.

"A poker game! Ten thousand pounds! I'll go back tomorrow and win another lot, and soon we'll be about to buy back our house!" He grinned, wild and savage, paper notes swirling down around him. There was a horrible silence. And then -

"HOW COULD YOU?" Will screamed. "YOUR GAMBLING GOT US INTO THIS FREAKING MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Except he didn't say 'freaking.'

"Will!" his mother snapped. "Enough!"

Will's vision was going black round the edges. He was burning up, his blood was on fire. "YOU COULD HAVE LOST US ANOTHER TEN THOUSAND! WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE THEN, _DAD?"_

His father's face had gone very still. He took a step forward.

And then he was grabbing Will by his shirt, pulling him forwards and spitting in his face. Will could smell alcohol on his fathers breath as he shut his eyes.

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOU LITTLE - "

Will wrenched out of his father's grasp just as his mother surged forward. A moment later his father had sunk against the table, clutching his face. She'd hit him.

Will was shaking, backing away - _this can't be real - it's not real_

CRACK - her hand whipped across his father's face again.

"THAT"S YOUR SON!" she was yelling, and Will almost didn't recognise her.

"GET OFF ME!"

His mother was staggering backwards a moment later, eyes suddenly wide with fear.

"I'm going to fix things! I'm helping, _you understand?"_ his father said, his voice dangerously calm as he stood upright again.

Will felt the hot oven door pressing against his back, but it didn't seem to hurt. He was freezing up again, like five years ago, and - _no._ He would not make the same mistake twice.

Will grabbed his father's arm. "Don't you _dare_ hurt her!"

"I'M NOT TRYING TO HURT HER! I'M TRYING TO HELP, FOR GOD'S SAKE!" his father screamed.

"YOU AREN'T HELPING!" Will screamed back. "DON'T YOU SEE? YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE! YOU'RE MAKING US FALL APART!"

The anger was surging, and Will's fist was moving, slamming into his father's face for the third punch of the day.

"WILL! ENOUGH!" his mother screamed, yanking on his arm. His father opened his mouth, face livid. There was a swelling lump on his cheek. Will only just realised what he'd done when his father's eyes rolled up into his head, and he crumpled onto the kitchen floor, having passed out cold.

Will couldn't move, staring at his father. His mother was shaking him, tears in her eyes. "Will, what were you _thinking?_ "

"What were _you_ thinking?" he snapped, jerking away.

She blinked, and the tears ran down her face in streams. "I - just - Will. Go to bed. I am - I'm so _,_ so sorry."

Will noticed he was taller than her. He was still shaking with anger, and it scared him.

"Please, Will. We - we'll deal with this - "

"In the morning. I get it." Will muttered. He turned and left the kitchen. Everything felt like a dream, like a nightmare Will would wake up from any second. He walked up the stairs to his room, slamming the door.

A horrible smell had wafted into his room, and Will stopped in surprise before he realised what it was.

Chocolate puddings burning.

It was a long, long time before he stopped shaking. His dreams were nothing but nightmares.

* * *

Will left the house at dawn on Sunday morning. He stayed out all day, wanting to go over to Jem's but unable to face his friend. He walked past the therapy centre, but it was closed that day, and completely empty. Will didn't have Tessa's phone number. In fact, he had no idea where she lived. He really didn't know that much about her after all.

Will roamed the dirty streets, trying to distract himself from the tiredness and anger lying just under his skin.

He came back to his house long after dusk. His mother was in her room, and his father was nowhere to be seen.

Will couldn't eat anything. He went straight up to his room, and jammed on a pair of headphones, turning up the music loud enough to block everything else out.

It was a sleepless night.

* * *

 **That scene was emotional for me and hard to write. It's hard to write about anger without sounding kind of lame, so I hope it read okay.**

 **Supportive comments are appreciated as always!**


	5. Chapter 5

**FINAL CHAPTEEEER! Thanks so much if you have read this far! Ready for the grand finale? Can Will overcome his final challenge from the last chapter? At the end of the day, Tessa has helped his as much as she could, and now it's up to Will. Sorry not sorry for fluffffffff**

* * *

"Will Herondale! Wake up!"

"Whaaaa -?" Will mumbled, slumped against his desk.

"For goodness sakes!" Will's maths teacher, Mr. Lightwood, slammed his hands down on Will's desk, jolting him upright.

It had not been a good Monday. So far, Will had fallen asleep three times in class, gotten yelled at five times, swore at a teacher two times, and gotten five detention slips, one for each class. It was maths class, the last session of the day, and Will hadn't realised he was falling asleep until it was too late, obviously. Jem was at home sick, and Will felt more tired and alone than ever.

"I've had it with your cheek, Mr. Herondale." Mr. Lightwood seethed. "Your attitude, quite frankly, is appalling. I know I speak for most of your teachers when I say I've had enough of your - " he stopped himself before he said something he would regret.

Will, tired as he was, managed a smirk. "Careful, Mr. Lightwood. Swearing is an offence for teachers."

"Enough!" Mr. Lightwood yelled as the class sniggered. Gabriel Lightwood, Mr. Lightwood's son and Will's arch enemy, glared at Will from his desk in the front.

Mr. Lightwood's face had gone an ugly shade of red, as he jabbed his finger at Will. "One more chance, Mr. Herondale. One more _toe out of line_ and it's the Principal's office for you. SHUT UP, CLASS 11J! I MEAN IT!"

Will looked around at his jeering classmates. What was he doing here?

Will made up his mind. He slid down in his seat and lay down on the floor under his desk. He wished Tessa was there beside him with a sudden, hard ache.

"THAT'S IT!" Mr. Lightwood had now gone purple. "PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE! Gabriel, you take him. GET UP, FOR GOD'S SAKES!"

The class was really laughing now. Will looked up at his teacher sleepily. "Do I _have_ to? It's actually quite comfortable down here."

Mr. Lightwood looked like he was going to explode, and Will decided that it was safer to probably do as he said. Will crawled out from under his desk to whoops and hi-fives from his classmates, which he took a moment to enjoy before Gabriel grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room.

The cheers followed them down the hallway.

Gabriel, worryingly, was smirking. "Having fun? Just you wait until the Principal talks to you. Mr. Mortmain will suspend you for sure, maybe even expel you!"

"He won't expel me." Will said, but he wasn't so sure. Will had a pretty bad school record, considering.

 _I'm not meant to be here. What am I doing here?_

Will stopped walking. Gabriel stopped too, scowling. "What the - "

"I have to go." Will said urgently. "Gabriel, my darling, my love, you can go back to class. I have to go somewhere."

"Nice try, idiot."

Will started backing down the hall. "Don't worry, it'll be just like I was suspended anyway. See you soon!"

He turned and ran.

"Hey! Stop!" Gabriel yelled, running after him, but Will was faster. He dashed down the corridors and out of the building, sprinting to the school entrance doors.

"HERONDALE!" Gabriel yelled. "STOP!"

"SORRY!" Will yelled back, slamming open the school gate and dashing into freedom and beyond.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN SOOO MUCH TROUBLE!" Gabriel stopped by the fence, panting.

Will was already halfway down the block. "LOVE YOU TOO!" he yelled, just to be annoying.

The therapy centre wasn't far from the school. Will knew the streets well.

He flew over the concrete, feet pounding. Tessa was the only one who could help him.

 _I guess you can't really change other people, just yourself,_ she had said. But Tessa had changed him. Will wasn't going to fall back into his past again.

He was gasping for breath by the time he reached the therapy doors. He staggered inside, making all the waiting customers jump.

Charlotte the receptionist stared at him. "Mr. Herondale, your appointment isn't until five o'clock - "

"Where's Tessa?" Will interrupted, catching his breath. "I really need to speak to her."

"She's here, but - " Charlotte began, but Will was already dashing down the corridor to door number seven. He burst into Tessa's room.

"Tessa, I know I'm early but - "

He broke off to gape at the old woman sitting in Tessa's chair. She looked nothing like Tessa.

"Who are you?" Will asked, and then decided he didn't care. "Where's Tessa?"

"You must be Will Herondale." the woman said, ignoring his question. You're much too early, but you can sit down. I see my lazy niece has left no notes about you while I've been away."

"You're Harriet Gray." Will said finally, understanding. This was Tessa's aunt who she had been filling in for.

The woman nodded. "Charming manners, William. I am. Tessa's school was closed today so she's upstairs studying, but no matter. She won't be your therapist any more."

Will stared at her. "Sorry, I've got to speak to her." He dashed back out the door and further down the corridor.

"William Herondale!" Harriet Gray screamed from her office. "Get back here!"

Will found a flight of stairs and hurried up them. _Please let her be here, please let her be here…_

He found himself in front of another door, which he shoved open. Tessa was sitting at a table, frowning over a pile of papers with a pencil and a mug of tea in her hands.

She looked up in surprise. "Will? What - "

Will was a different person to what he had been a week ago. Tessa had helped him change, and he was sure as hell not falling back into the abyss of the last five years. He needed her, needed her to lean against while his family fell apart, because he could not let them drag him down. He couldn't change his father, or his mother, but he could change himself. And it had taken only four lessons with Tessa to see that. So he couldn't let her drift away.

Will was moving before he'd made the decision to. There was so much he wanted to say to her, and in the end, nothing really covered it. His past didn't really matter, what _mattered_ was what he did next.

Tessa's eyes widened as Will reached her, and then he was kissing her.

It seemed like the best idea at the time.

Tessa went completely rigid with shock, and for a moment he was terrified she was going to pull away, but then Tessa put her arms around his shoulders with a muffled sigh, and kissed him back. Will had kissed girls before, and why did this feel different?

And his hands were tangled in her hair and she was leaning into him and Will couldn't feel the ground under his feet -

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" came a shocked yell.

Tessa and Will sprang apart, Tessa blushing redder than Will had ever seen her. Harriet Gray stood framed in the doorway, her horrified expression quickly turning to anger.

"Tessa Gray, you'd better explain yourself!" she hissed. "And you!" she pointed at Will. "Get back downstairs and into my office AT ONCE!"

Behind Harriet, Charlotte the receptionist and a few other curious customers had come up from downstairs to see what the commotion was about. Charlotte gave Will a confused half-smile.

Will gulped. "I'm sorry for any inconvenience, Mrs. Gray, but I've decided I don't need therapy sessions anymore. So I'll just be on my way."

Harriet stared at him, eyes bulging behind heavy-rimmed glasses. Tessa, meanwhile, was scribbling something on the corner of one of her study papers. She tore it out and pressed it into his hand without taking her eyes off her aunt.

Will took a deep breath and walked towards the door, ducking behind Harriet - who seemed frozen with surprise - and dodging the other customers. He turned one last time and met Tessa's eyes. _I'm sorry,_ Will mouthed. Tessa gave him a half smile before -

"AND WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" her aunt yelled. Will winced. But Tessa didn't seem that fussed. Her voice was calm as she replied. "I was studying."

Will grinned as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"And WILL HERONDALE!" he heard a shout just as he was stepping into the corridor. "GET BACK HERE!"

Will did the only sensible thing. He ran.

He was halfway down the street when he slowed to a stop. _What next?_

Will sighed. He would go back to school. He would apologise and suck up to the principal as best he could. He would work harder, he would pay more attention. He would go home, and help his mother, and forgive his father. Because Will could only move forward once he'd made himself. Because he was going to make changes.

Will remembered the crumpled strip of paper in his fist. He carefully smoothed it out, and then grinned.

It was Tessa's phone number.

* * *

 _Three Months Later_

"Will, that was the doorbell, can can you get it?" Will's mother called. "The puddings are just coming out of the oven!"

"Sure!" Will replied, jogging to the front door.

When they'd moved in the tiny house, the door had been nothing but peeling paint and wood. But Will's father had bought a tub of orange paint and spent an afternoon going over it. He'd asked if Will wanted to help, and Will had agreed.

Things were still not perfect between him and his father, but they were both trying, and Will knew that someday he'd forgive his dad fully.

Will swung open the orange door. Jem and Tessa were standing on the other side, deep in conversation. They turned around at the sound.

"Will!" Tessa said warmly. She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, which made Jem try to hide a knowing smirk. Will raised an eyebrow at Jem over Tessa's shoulder.

Jem came forward next and they did the awkward handshake thing before Will pulled his friend into a hug. It was Tessa's turn to hide a smile.

Will swung the door open wide, and his friends stepped inside with wide eyes.

"Wow, it looks so different!" Jem exclaimed. Indeed, the walls had all been freshly painted, and were decorated with photos and artworks in golden frames. A fluffy blue carpet had been added to the corridor floor, which Tessa scuffed her feet in - with the smile most girls seemed to give if they saw something fluffy.

"It looks amazing." she said as Will laid them through the now bright and cozy living room, to the kitchen.

Cecily, Will's younger sister, stood in the doorway. It was a rare sight, but Cecily had started spending a lot more time at home these days, to their mother's delight.

"Jem!" she said. "Long time, no see."

Jem grinned. "Cecy."

Cecily turned her sharp blue eyes to Tessa. "You must be Tessa. Will has told me _so much_ about you."

"Good things, I hope?" Tessa said with a shy smile.

Cecily gave Will a devilish grin. "Well, in fact - "

"Shut up." Will mouthed, giving his sister a nudge as he walked past her into the kitchen. Cecily broke off with a squeal and laughed.

"Jem!" Will's mother exclaimed as she stopped laying food on the table. "And Tessa, how lovely to see you again!"

Tessa and Jem both gave shy smiles. Jem looked and Will and smiled too. His eyes seemed to say, _you're all so different._

Will tapped his nose knowingly as he found a seat.

They all sat around the tiny kitchen table, which was groaning with food.

"Please eat up." Will's mother said warmly. "I didn't cook it all just to be looked at!"

"This looks amazing, Mrs. Herondale." Tessa said politely.

"Call me Lucie, please dear. Mrs. Herondale makes me feel so old!"

"Well that's not good, considering I'm Mr. Herondale." Will's father said, coming into the kitchen. He took a seat and smiled at the guests. He was clean-shaven and his eyes were bright, and when he met Will's eyes, Will smiled back.

Will's mother rolled her eyes with a yet another smile. "Oh, and there's chocolate pudding for dessert." she added. "So leave some room, everyone!"

Jem glanced at Tessa, who looked uncomfortable. "Don't you like chocolate?" Cecily asked, her eyes catching everything.

Tessa bit her lip. "I haven't tried it for a long time. It was too bitter when I was little."

"Mrs. Herond - I mean Lucie's chocolate puddings are definitely not bitter." Jem assured Tessa with a grin.

"You'll love them. Only monsters hate chocolate." Will said confidently.

Tessa smiled at him. "Okay. I'll try some. They do smell delicious."

He felt for her and under the table and squeezed it.

Up over Tessa's head, framed agains the wall, was a black and white picture of Ella, Will and Cecily as toddlers, grinning cheerily at the camera. It was Will's favourite photo of his older sister. And as he looked at Ella, she seemed to be smiling directly at him.

* * *

 **Finished! This story took me a damn long time, and I kept wanting to stop. I'm glad I kept pushing though, and if anyone's reading this I hope they enjoyed it. Comments would be great btw! I hope you liked the ending, and look forward to reading your stories too :)**


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